Winning Over Commercial GMs: Making Public Affairs Matter Where the Business Happens. The Internal Side of Public Affairs (59)

By Alan Hardacre, PhD

Co-Founder Advocacy Academy, Advocacy Strategy

In my experience one of the biggest battles that Public Affairs faces for internal recognition is with commercial General Managers. Working with, and winning over, GMs is critical for the success of any Public Affairs professional because on the one hand GMs sit closest to revenue, customers, market dynamics, and operational developments (so they know the business inside out) and secondly, they are powerful internal stakeholders who can drive real change. If Public Affairs wants to be seen as a strategic function—and not a “nice-to-have fixer”—then earning the confidence of commercial GMs is one of the most important internal challenges you have.

The problem here? Well there are many. Too often Public Affairs is perceived as being disconnected from growth and the business, drowned in acronyms and focused on political abstraction rather than business outcomes. It is also routinely criticized for not being commercial (lacks commercial acumen is a phrase I have heard too often). But it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, when done well, Public Affairs becomes a commercial accelerator that drives value, removes obstacles, and opens new pathways for business success.

The starting point here is critical for me. Winning over commercial GMs is not about teaching them Public Affairs – this is a mistake I see too often. Winning over commercial GMs is about demonstrating how Public Affairs helps them succeed.

Here are some ideas on how to do this.

1. Speak in Commercial Outcomes, Not Policy Inputs

I have addressed this point in previous blog posts but commercial GMs don’t care about political timetables, stakeholder maps, or procedural nuance. They care about revenue, margins, time-to-market, competitive threats, and operational continuity. In short they care about your objectives to support the business – much less about how you intend to do it.

If your internal presentations start with politics instead of commercial value, you will lose them before you even begin.

Translate policy into profit, such as:

• This regulatory change could cut six months off your approval timeline.

• This Public Affairs campaign could unlock access to X market segment.

• This tax risk, if unmanaged, could cost the business €/$/£ X next year.

Show how Public Affairs, when strategically aligned, drives outcomes counted in their P&L. As I wrote previously, Public Affairs professionals need to speak P&L fluently—otherwise, the business will never fully understand what you can deliver. 

2. Solve Problems They Actually Have (Now)

Public Affairs is at its best when it addresses the problems that keep commercial leaders awake at night—regulatory friction, unfair competition, delayed approvals, shifting standards, compliance ambiguity, and policy that could impact their P&L in the immediate future. If your agenda is disconnected from their pain points, they will see Public Affairs as ornamental.

This means:

• Asking commercial GMs what is blocking progress today.

• Understanding where the business needs early warning.

• Building market-specific issue radar.

• Focusing on opportunities (not only risks).

When GMs see Public Affairs actively removing barriers, they stop viewing the function as reactive. Instead, they see a strategic partner.

3. Co-Own Outcomes – Not Just “Support the Business”

Commercial alignment is not about educating the business about Public Affairs or even supporting the business. These are again two common mistakes. It is about shared ownership. Ask GMs:

• Where do you need air cover?

• Which doors do you need opened?

• What political developments could make or break your plans this year?

To do this well you need to understand their commercial plans and ambitions – as well as where the margins sit. From here you will need to understand how you can give air cover and what you can do to protect or open up the way to support this plan. This is best done as a joint problem-solving session. This will build trust faster than any presentation ever could. Without wanting to get ahead of myself – when you then have this alignment you can much more easily bring your GM into your work—stakeholder meetings, external events, policy roundtables—because they will understand what their time is contributing to.

4. Deliver One Quick Win Early

Nothing changes internal perception like impact.

A single well-timed intervention—accelerating a regulatory approval, averting a costly requirement, securing flexibility from authorities, or neutralizing a legislative threat—creates lasting credibility. A quick win:

• Proves value early

• Shows you understand their priorities

• Builds the GM’s trust in your judgement

• Opens the door to bigger conversations

Public Affairs is often a “long game,” but commercial teams respond to commercial impact. Make that impact visible as soon as possible.

5. Report Like the Commercial Teams Do

Public Affairs reporting often focuses on activities (strategy and tactics). But commercial leaders focus on contribution and impact. Shift your reporting to reflect:

• ROI

• Risk avoided

• Revenue protected or enabled

• Time accelerated

• Market access gained

• Competitive advantage enhanced

Frame your dashboards like the business frames theirs. Use their terminology. Mirror their performance cadence. You will be amazed how quickly they start to see you differently.

6. Bring Commercial GMs Into Your Strategic Rhythm

Public Affairs becomes more relevant when it becomes more transparent. Invite GMs to:

• your annual planning session,

• your strategy offsite,

• key briefings with regulators or political stakeholders.

When the business sees the complexity and stakes you manage, perceptions shift—and respect grows.

The Goal: Commercially Aligned and Enabling Public Affairs 

When Public Affairs aligns with GMs there is a real win-win.  But make no mistake the onus is very much on Public Affairs professionals to make this alignment work. At the core of this post has been the need to showcase more commercially aligned Public Affairs – which will be the subject of my next webinar.

Join the Next Internal Side of Public Affairs Webinar

On Thursday, January 29 at 16h CET, I’ll be hosting our next Internal Side of Public Affairs webinar where we’ll explore: What Good Commercially Aligned Public Affairs Looks Like — and How to Get There. If you want to join (or want your team to join), simply DM me and I’ll send the details.

Let’s keep sharing ideas — because the internal side of Public Affairs is just as strategic as the external.